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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471344">Revelations, and What Comes After</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemain/pseuds/Nemain'>Nemain</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luck and Good Timing [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>80's Music, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Attempt at Humor, But In A Real-Life Way, But Not The Good Stuff, Fluff and Crack, Love Confessions, M/M, Secrets Revealed, bad taste in music</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:08:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemain/pseuds/Nemain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One of the glorious things about love is being able to relax and just exist around the other person.  Once that first need to make a good impression settles down, you can set aside all the exhausting pretence and masks you put up to try and meet people’s expectations; it is exhilarating and liberating.  It is also how disaster occurs.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Nicky lets his guard down and reveals an embarrassing secret.  Luckily, Yusuf knows just how to respond.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luck and Good Timing [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916047</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Revelations, and What Comes After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Takes place between chapters 5 and 6 of Luck and Good Timing, about a week after No Stranger, but before they decide to move in together.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One of the glorious things about love is being able to relax and just exist around the other person.  Once that first need to make a good impression settles down, you can set aside all the exhausting pretence and masks you put up to try and meet people’s expectations; it is exhilarating and liberating.  It is also how disaster occurs.</p><p>
For what seemed like the millionth time in the past three weeks, Nicky thought about how much he adored spending time with Yusuf.  And talking to Yusuf.  And listening to Yusuf.  And looking at Yusuf.  And…  well, if it involved Yusuf, safe to say that Nicky was on board.  He had never before felt so comfortable with another person, not even with Nile, and definitely not in any of his previous romantic relationships.  The only exception to the ease he felt around the other man was his fight to contain those three words that had been struggling to break free since shortly after they had met.  No matter how relaxed he was, there was a part of him that chided that three weeks was too early for heartfelt declarations of love, not that he would even have the words to fully explain how he deeply felt about the other man.  Yusuf was the poet, not him.  His best hope was that, at a more appropriate time, he could just say “I love you” without fainting or having his voice break like a teenager.
</p><p>
He smiled softly at his boyfriend, who was speaking in passionate tones about the book he had borrowed, as they walked to Nicky’s car. They had met for a late dinner, before planning to drive up the coast a bit, away from the glow of the city, to try and catch the northern lights.  Nicky had packed blankets, snacks, and a thermos of Yusuf’s favorite tea, and was looking forward to an excuse to cuddle while nature provided some pretty impressive mood-lighting.  It was in this blissed-out state, anticipating the very romantic circumstances to come, that Nicky completely let his guard down.
</p><p>
As they climbed into the car, all Nicky’s senses were so attuned to the beautiful man beside him that he completely forgot that he had been listening to his super-secret-definitely-not-embarrassing feel-good playlist as he drove to meet Yusuf at the restaurant.  That is, until he turned on the car.  Yusuf was mid word, describing a particularly eloquent passage of the book, and why it resonated so strongly with him, when a wall of sound came blasting out of the speakers like the shockwave of an explosion, blowing them both back in their seats.
</p><p>
<strong>“It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you </strong></p><p>
  <strong>
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do</strong>
</p><p><strong>
I bless the rains down in Africa...” </strong>
</p><p>
Nicky dove for the controls so frantically it took him several attempts to successfully pause the song.  He sat frozen for a moment in the sudden silence, terrified to look over and see the blast damage.
</p><p>
Yusuf blinked.  “What just happened?”
</p><p>
“I really can’t say.”  The only reason Nicky wasn’t wishing for a meteor to crash into the car and end his suffering is that it would wipe Yusuf out in the process.  Maybe he would be lucky enough to be hit by a very small meteor.  A personal-sized one.
</p><p>
“Is that Toto’s “Africa?”  Yusuf’s eyes widened in epiphany.  “Wait, no, was that a cover?”
</p><p>
“Yeah, um, Weezer did one recently?”  A meteor was probably too much to ask.  Nicky didn’t want to be unreasonable; he would take any form of intervention at this point, divine or otherwise.  Perhaps a heart attack?  A kidnapping?  Spontaneous human combustion?
</p><p>
“So you are listening to “Africa,” loudly, but it’s not even the original version.”
</p><p>
Maybe this was a bad dream; he glanced down to check if he was wearing pants.  “Does that make this whole situation better or worse?”  
</p><p>
“I honestly don’t know.”  Yusuf sounded thoughtful.  
</p><p>
They sat in silence for a second, Nicky internally writhing with embarrassment, trying to ignore the fact that Yusuf watched him with amused eyes.  There had to be a way to salvage this.  “I really want to say that this is an accident, that this is just someone else’s Spotify playlist.  Definitely not mine.”   
</p><p>
“But you wouldn’t say that, because we both know it would be a lie.”  Yusuf’s lips were twitching with mirth, and he was trying desperately to breathe evenly through his nose.  “Clearly, at that volume and halfway through the song, this is no accident.  You,” he pointed an accusing finger, “sing along with it.”
</p><p>
“I don’t know why you would say such a thing!”  Other than it being true, of course.  Stupid clever boyfriend.
</p><p>
“No one plays their music that loud and doesn’t sing along.  And I still haven’t heard a denial.  You chose this song because you like it.”  He dragged out the word “like” into about thirty syllables.
</p><p>
They sat in silence while Nicky imagined that this must be one of the circles of Hell.  Forget gluttony, greed, heresy … Dante could have just written about awkward dating moments and called it a day, without the need for nine circles at all.  He knew that, no matter how horrified, his kind, sensitive, caring Yusuf wouldn’t judge him too harshly for one little fault, but he couldn’t bear the thought of losing even a tiny piece of his clear admiration.  Still, he felt the need to confess.  He took a deep breath, stared at the roof of the car, and said, “I love 80’s music.”
</p><p>
Yusuf’s whole body was twitching now.
</p><p>
“I can’t help it,  It’s completely unironic - it’s so cheesy and earnest and nonsensical and I love it all.  I have a whole massive playlist.  The worse it is, the more I like it.”  He sounded miserable.
</p><p>
Yusuf finally lost the internal struggle and collapsed with laughter, which, for reasons only clear to whatever ancient god was in charge of humiliation, just prompted Nicky to keep talking.  
</p><p>
“The Safety Dance is on the playlist, too.  And Tarzan Boy.”
</p><p>
Yusuf wiped his eyes, and looked mildly apologetic, though he was still shaking in amusement, and his breathing was far from even. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, but you look so ashamed of your horrifying taste in music!”
</p><p>
“It’s embarrassing!  And you’re so insightful and artistic, and … and now you know my deepest shame.”   While he truly was embarrassed, Nicky was smiling.  He supposed there were worse faults to have than a sincere love of bad pop music.  It’s not like he was a human trafficker or a CEO in big pharma or anything.  Anyway, this was the sort of thing that was bound to come out in a relationship eventually.  He just would have preferred it was later.  Maybe after he was dead.
</p><p>
Yusuf finally stopped snort-giggling, and looked thoughtful.  “And anyway, not all 80’s music is terrible. I mean, Joy Division?  And, sure, Morrisey is a racist piece of crap, but The Smiths’ music is amazing.  They are definitely on my list of bands I wish I had been around to see live.”
</p><p>
“You did not find out that I listen to The Smiths.  You found out that I listen to a bloody cover of Toto.  It’s not the same.”  Nicky really wasn’t sure why he was arguing at this point, even if it was all in fun.  
</p><p>
“Oh, babe, don’t worry. Nobody’s perfect.  But, maybe I can make you feel better.”  Yusuf lifted Nicky’s hand to his lips and kissed it reverently, looking deep into Nicky’s eyes.  His face was burning with sincerity, and Nicky was glad he was sitting down, as his knees had suddenly turned to jelly.  “I love the Twilight movies.”
</p><p>
“Wait.  What?”  It took a second for what Yusuf has just said to penetrate the fog of embarrassment and intense emotion filling Nicky’s brain.  That was not the phrase he expected to follow that passionate stare.
</p><p>
“I love the Twilight movies.  Completely and, as you say, unironically.  I saw them all in theatres multiple times.  And before you say anything about their flaws, I know and I don’t care.  I don’t care about the creepy baby, or the problematic stalkery love story, or Kristen Stewart’s single facial expression.  They are deeply terrible films and I love them to bits.”  Yusuf grinned at him.  “You should probably know that about me before this relationship goes any further.”
</p><p>
Nicky stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, trying to process this information and square it against the sophisticated artist he had come to know.  “You know, I work with the guy who animated Robert Pattinson’s abs in the first movie.  They had to paint the lines on, and then go in during post to animate them and make them glitter.  It was his first job out of school.”
</p><p>
“I think that makes me love the movies even more.”
</p><p>
Nicky finally laughed; it was nice to know he wasn’t alone in his questionable taste, and he adored Yusuf for comforting him like this.  Dignity was overrated if it meant he was able to feel this happiness with this man.  At that point, he relaxed again, and that final hidden part of himself broke free.  “You’re lucky I lo-”  He cut himself off, suddenly serious at realizing what he was going to say; it was time.  “I can’t make a joke with this, not the first time.”
</p><p>
Yusuf looked at him curiously as Nicky adjusted their entwined hands, sensing the dramatic emotional shift.  Nicky rubbed small circles with his thumb and took a deep breath.
</p><p>
“I have been waiting to say this, thinking it was too soon, that I didn’t have the right words, but I don’t need to take my time.  It’s been too long already.  I wish I had your gift with poetry, but I hope you will accept sincerity instead. You came into my life when I wasn’t even looking and changed everything. When I’m with you, I feel more authentically me than I ever have before.  Every moment I spend with you makes me want to be with you more.”  He smiled slightly to himself and looked deeply into Yusuf’s eyes.  “I love you.”
</p><p>
Yusuf was staring at Nicky like he was something rare and precious, for once rendered speechless.  He whispered, “I love you too,”  and leaned in for a passionate kiss. 
</p><p>
After they broke apart, after the slide of lips and tongues and the perfume of each other’s breath, Nicky felt as though he had swallowed the sun; his joy couldn't be contained.  It wasn’t even dampened when Yusuf added slyly, “Even though you have terrible taste in music.”
</p><p>
Scoffing in mock offence, Nicky replied, “Says the guy who likes Twilight.”
</p><p>
“Loves Twilight, get it right.  And I fully expect you to watch them with me.  All of them.”
</p><p>
They gazed adoringly at each other for several moments before Yusuf broke the silence.  “So now that we know each other’s darkest secrets and have declared our love… are you still going to take me to sit on the beach to see the northern lights, while we snuggle under a blanket?”
</p><p>
Nicky smiled.  “I can’t think of a more romantic way to spend this night with the man I love.”
</p><p>
“Just so long as I get to pick the music.”  Yusuf winked at him.
</p><p>
A couple hours later, Nicky sat on a blanket, leaning back against Yusuf’s chest and wrapped in his arms, as they gazed up in wonder at the shimmering sky behind the mountains.  Every few minutes Yusuf would kiss him tenderly and whisper words of love, and Nicky couldn’t help but think that, no matter how majestic the aurora, Yusuf was the greater miracle.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is not meant to be a knock on the twilight movies.  There are movies that I unironically love to bits, that many people would argue are abominations to film, so no judgement.  I just needed it to be twilight to tell the story about Robert Pattinson’s abs.  Please don't be offended if you love them.</p><p> </p><p>The story about Robert Pattinson’s abs is true, and I actually do know the guy who animated them. Poor bastard.  He’s super nice and talented, and we should really stop teasing him about it.</p><p> </p><p>I half feel like I should be naming landmarks in the stories at this point.  What restaurant, what beach, what neighbourhood, I have very specific ideas in my head… but I don’t want to drag people out of the fic with reality (like what happens when I watch a movie filmed here and they cut a scene that makes me sit up and say “that’s not where that street goes…”) or turn it into an infodump.</p><p> </p><p>Moving in together story is coming.  It's half written so it just depends on how much work is a steaming pile of garbage.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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